Kelly’s bluff and bluster will not save his ‘legacy’ or his government

Do you want to see a government minister in panic? Do you want to watch as a government minister sees his beloved ‘legacy’ slip away right before his eyes?

Have a look here as Environment Minister Alan Kelly attempts to threaten Irish citizens with bluster and hot air if they refuse to pay their water bills.

Then, a few days later the same minister announces the latest extension of the deadline for people to sign up to Irish Water. Is that the 5th or 6th deadline?

Kelly’s panic is a direct result of the massive turnout at last week’s protetst. The Minister and his government are beginning to see the abyss that’s opening up beneath their feet. They’re beginning to realise that the rebellion against their arrogance and shady dealings is stronger than ever, that a significant percentage of the people have lost their fear of repressive government/politics.

And make no mistake, there will be major consequences, not just for Alan Kelly, not just for this government but for the whole rotten political regime that has betrayed democracy and the Irish people, when Irish Water is finally consigned to history.

That’s why the political system is becoming ever more undemocratic, ever more repressive in its response to the challenge from ordinary citizens.

Enda Kenny was right when he said it wasn’t about water. It’s about his job, it’s about his government but most of all, it’s about finally removing the corrupt political cancer that has infected Irish democracy for decades.

Irish Water: The meltdown begins.

The farce that is Irish Water has now descended into super farce.

For the first time since the Big Bang (13.7 billion years ago) a quango has given prior notice that it is about to engage in a massive exercise of incompetence.

When the bills go out next month Irish Water has admitted:

Details like the number of people in a house will be incorrect.
More than two thousand meters won’t be read because of technical details.
Up to 150,000 (feck) properties with a private well and septic tank will be (deliberately) mistakenly billed.

In the most understated understatement of the last 13.7 billion years Irish Water said it was anticipating ‘a lot of calls’ in response to its latest strategic debacle.

I’m literally on the floor in hysterics.

Irish Water not talking to Denis O’Brien’s radio station

Newstalk broadcasters Ivan Yates and Chris O’Donoghue were lamenting the fact this morning (Part two; 7.06) that Irish Water are operating a complete ban on speaking to them because, apparently, Ivan gave the CEO of Irish Water a hard time about a year and a half ago.

Now, there are some bad people, I mean really bad people out there who might say – isn’t that mighty convenient.

One of the most listened to/influential programmes on Denis O’Brien’s radio station doesn’t have have to ask any more hard questions of Irish Water.

Some people might say the whole thing was arranged but not me.

No, I just couldn’t bring myself to believe that Denis O’Brien’s radio station would stoop to such underhand tactics, I mean, the very thought.

No, the lads are genuinely aghast at the ban, they would genuinely love to have the Irish Water CEO in, to tear him to shreds but, alas, it’s not possible.

So, the lads wonder…what to do…..I know says Ivan, let’s do a another piece on evil Sinn Fein or perhaps the violent Trotskyite water protesters.

Yes, agrees Chris, they really need to be asked some very hard questions.

Unaccountable deals made by state officials should be made a criminal act

RTE’s This Week programme has exposed the latest dodgy deal surrounding the establishment of the Irish Water quango.

The goings on in smoke filled backrooms is justification alone for Irish citizens refusal to pay the water tax.

Here’s an analysis of the dodgy dealing.

The following groups were involved.

Irish Water and the Dept. of the Environment representing the interests of Irish Water and the Government.

The County and City Managers Association (CCMA) which was representing the County and City Managers (I know, I couldn’t figure it out either) and, presumably, representing the workers of these entities.

Ordinary citizens/taxpayers.

The first decision, made by the groups with power, Irish Water, the Government and the CCMA, was to exclude the taxpayer.

It seems at least some meetings were held in secret and no minutes were kept during the most crucial meeting. This is standard practice in banana republics.

The second decision taken was that the taxpayer would pay for all agreements reached by the interested parties. There was no need to inform the taxpayer of this decision since the practice has been in place since the establishment of our banana republic.

Ok, so here’s how the deal went down.

The CCMA had information that Irish Water badly needed to ensure its successful establishment. The CCMA effectively blackmailed Irish Water by threatening to withhold or delay handing over the information unless their demands were met.

Irish Water and the Government quickly conceded to all demands. This was no problem since the non-represented taxpayer was paying for everything.

The agreements reached, if implemented, will cost Irish citizens countless millions over the years.

In my opinion the individuals involved in this agreement are traitors. They made their decisions in full knowledge of the pain and loss suffered by their fellow citizens since 2008, yet they ruthlessly went ahead anyway.

The unaccountable divvying up of our money by public officials, particularly when it’s done in secret; should be made a criminal act.

Copy to:
Dept. of Environment
Irish Water
CCMA

Government and media launch major propaganda campaign against water protesters

Yesterday, the Government in cooperation with its many friends in the media, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Irish Water, launched its first major propaganda campaign of 2015 aimed at defeating those who are refusing to pay water charges.

The message was simple: The water is poisoned, the infrastructure is about to collapse any minute with dire consequences for ‘customers’. The only thing that will prevent the greatest catastrophe since the famine is – investment, lots and lots of investment.

One million homes at significant risk from contaminated drinking water

screamed the Irish Independent headline.

And just in case readers didn’t get the fear message, there’s a picture of two lovely children brushing their teeth, great to get the emotions going.

Other dire warnings included: health risk to babies, e-coli, cryptosporidium, lead poisoning, endless water notices, risk to thousands of jobs.

‘Customers’ were warned that if they wanted a modern water system they would have to pay for it. €500 million per year for ten years – minimum.

Also in the Independent (partly owned by Denis O’Brien) John Tierney, Managing Director of Irish Water, was afforded an article all of his own in which he made this dire revelation:

There are now people in Ireland who cannot drink their water because it will make them ill.

His solution: Slap a bill for €2.3 billion on ‘customers’ to pay up or risk getting sick.

We want to become an organisation trusted by people to deliver every time they turn on their tap.

What he means is, of course – trusted to deliver a bill every time a ‘customer’ turns on a tap?

To be fair to Newstalk’s (fully owned by Denis O’Brien) Breakfast presenters, Ivan Yates and Brendan Donoghue, they didn’t even bother with balance.

They got stuck in right away – 20,000 on boiled water notices, nearly one million at risk. They interviewed a spokesperson from EPA asking him comfortable, leading questions that were very helpful to Irish Water.

Again we had all the dire warnings that the sky was about to fall in unless Irish Water ‘customers’ stumped up a couple of billion. At the end of the piece, in case ‘customers’ still weren’t on song, Ivan Yates hammered home the message:

There’s no avoiding the fact if we want to retain our water quality for almost a million people very significant investment needs to take place.

RTE also played its part in the Government’s propaganda campaign.

Here’s part of the written introduction on the Sean O’Rourke website to an interview with Head of Asset Management at Irish Water Jerry Grant.

In the face of opposition to water charges, the response from government and from Irish Water has remained steady. If we want to ensure a sustainable and clean supply of water into the future, charging for water is the way forward.

In fairness to RTE, this clear and dramatic abandonment of balance in favour of supporting Government policy is courageous. At least listeners now know where the national broadcaster stands on the question of water tax.

On RTE’s Late Debate presenter Cormac O’hEadhra nearly had a heart attack at the sheer horror of what was revealed in the EPA report.

Funny, all this hysteria, because Irish citizens (as opposed to customers) have been aware for decades that the water system is Third World standard, at best.

They know they’re being poisoned, they know political incompetence and corruption is at the root of the problem, they know major investment is required.

They also know, and this is where they depart from the position of the Government and its friends in the media, that this time they are not going to be screwed because of the greed and corruption of politicians.

Copy to:

Dept. of Environment
Irish Water
Environmental Protection Agency
RTE
Newstalk
Irish Independent

Eoghan Murphy: Political reform? Yes, but only if the ruling elite hold power

Fine Gael TD (and political coward) Eoghan Murphy is continuing his crusade to reform Irish politics before the evil ones in Sinn Fein and other ‘lefties’ seize power and destroy the great civilisation so labourisly built up, brick by democratic brick, by Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and Labour over the decades.

Speaking on the Today with Sean O’Rourke Murphy, a serious competitor to Leo Varadkar for political Messiah of the decade, repeated his call for political reform.

The Irish Water debacle represents a failure of the political system, we’ve got to hold the Government to account, we’ve got to get rid of the Economic Management Council (EMC).

And then…and then…he said something profound….wait for it…wait for it.

We have to stop making these mistakes because we have a history of making bad mistakes in our political system because the system is the way it is.

I swooned at the sheer depth, the sheer insight of this young visionary.

Why oh why, I cried, did none of our past Great Leaders, who built our magnificent democracy with their bare hands, without an expense sheet in sight, not possess the wisdom of this Messiah?

But there was more…much more.

Just yesterday, said the brave Eoghan, I was talking to the Great Leader himself; the Great Enda and I told him (again) about my blueprint for political reform that I put to paper in 2012.

Go forth young man, said the Great One, go forth and consult with your colleagues and when you have done so, come back to me and we will make history, we will save the people from the evil lefties.

(As the Great Enda turned away he was heard to mutter – Feckin’ eejit).

And then, before I could catch my breath – another flash of wisdom from Murphy.

There’s a desire, particularly among new TDs who aren’t used to the old way of doing things, to give more powers to the Dail.

My God, I screamed – more power for the people’s parliament? Is there no end to this man’s vision?

Ok, he’s not promising full power to parliament, like real democracies, but you can see where he’s going. Some day, perhaps in a few decades, full democracy may reign in the land.

At this stage I was on my knees, praying to the radio. A promise of real democracy albeit at some point in the future, deliverance from the evil lefties.

Free at last, I thought, free at last – Hallelujah.

And then…..a crushing blow when the great reformer was asked:

Do you think your fellow TD Noel Coonan was fair in comparing Left wing politicians with ISIS?

Well, ya know, Noel’s an emotional guy. I think he was trying to express the disappointment we all have when we see parliamentary colleagues like the Murph going out and showing their kind of leadership which is trying to stoke civil unrest, it seems, and to be very unfair towards fellow parliamentarians.

If that’s the Left’s definition of leadership I think it’s a very poor one, it’s not to be welcomed and Noel was trying to speak to that.

Well feck it anyway. One simple question with a simple answer and the Great Messiah couldn’t do it.

The gombeen gene is so deeply ingrained in his political brain that it instantly triggered a reversion to the old way of doing things.

A politically intelligent politician would simply have admitted that Coonan had been a bit over the top and that would have been fine, well, by Irish political standards anyway.

But no, this ‘reforming’ Fine Gael TD was not now, not ever going to criticise one from his own tribe no matter how stupid, insulting or inflammatory his views.

It’s all very well referring to the lefties as a sinister lot, all very well trying to educate the peasants about what’s best for them, all very well preaching democracy, accountability and political reform but criticise a fellow member of the long established ruling class – no way, that’s not going to happen.

Copy to:

Eoghan Murphy
Fine Gael

RTE: A Government broadcaster

Panel on Marian Finucane’s Sunday’s show.

Gerard Craughwell, Independent Senator: Generally spoke in opposition of Sinn Fein politics and anti-water chargers protesters.

Stephen Kinsella, Economist: Generally spoke in opposition of Sinn Fein politics and anti-water chargers protesters.

Suzanne Lynch, Irish Times correspondent: Generally spoke in opposition of Sinn Fein politics and anti-water chargers protesters.

John Walshe, former special advisor to Education Minister: Generally spoke in opposition of Sinn Fein politics and anti-water chargers protesters.

Fionnan Sheahan, political editor Independent Newspapers: Generally spoke in opposition of Sinn Fein politics and anti-water chargers protesters.

In addition to the panel Ms. Finucane interviewed:

Katherine Zappone, Independent Senator: Criticised the anti-water charges protesters.

Joan Burton, Tanaiste and Minister for Social Protection: Strongly critical of water protesters. Was permitted to ramble on without any serious challenge by a mostly sympathetic Finucane.

Minister Burton even managed to repeat Kenny’s insulting advice to the peasants – To save water; you must turn off the tap when washing your teeth.

Conclusion:

RTE is not a national broadcaster; it’s a Government broadcaster.

Labour Senator John Whelan: Serving the rotten system rather than the people

During the discussion in which announced to the country that Bord Gais had established Irish Water under false pretences Labour Senator John Whelan said that, as a politician, he would rather be honest than popular.

On his website he is quoted as saying:

I don’t want to be another career politician. I desperately want to do something about the mess we are in.

Another quote on his website goes:

He has regularly been referred to as a courageous and outspoken journalist.

Well, Senator Whelan is no longer courageous and outspoken. He is just another career politician who has opted to be popular with the rotten political system rather than be honest with the Irish people.

I have been trying to contact the senator since he made his very serious allegations without success; he’s in hiding. Neither has he made any public statements, either in the Senate or in public to explain his allegations.

As a public representative Senator Whelan has a duty to either retract his allegations or take action on them. He has done neither.

So, in effect, the Senator has decided to join the ranks of political gombeens who, over the decades, have served their own and their party’s interests at the expense of Ireland and its people.

Copy to:
Senator Whelan

Irish Examiner: Water protesters to blame for global over-population

I’ve read many silly editorials in my time but the opinion expressed in Tuesday’s Irish Examiner has to be the most absurd, most idiotic of them all.

The subject matter is global over-population but somehow the editor manages to link this problem with the activities of those opposing water charges. Here’s a quote:

As population figures (continue to accelerate) is there any possibility that those who so vehemently oppose water charges might make a connection between the two issues?

What next?

Water charges protesters responsible for Ebola.

Hilarious bullshit.

Is Irish Water the greatest fraud inflicted on Irish citizens?

I believe that the establishment of Irish Water will turn out to be the greatest fraud inflicted on the Irish people since independence.

I suspect that Irish Water has already been sold to private business. There are a number of signals that seem to point to this, which I’ll come back to later.

I strongly suspect that there are forces working behind the scenes, with the Government’s full support, who are pushing an already agreed but secret agenda.

I strongly suspect that today’s bizarre incident where unasked for legal advice was thrown at the Public Accounts Committee warning them that they have no legal right to question Irish Water CEO John Tierney is part of this secret agenda.

I strongly suspect that business interests, who have powerful politicians in their pockets, are calling the shots.

I strongly suspect that senior ministers and even the Taoiseach are receiving direct orders from these business interests directing them in how they should respond to the people’s opposition to water charges.